Benefits Issued by Social Insurance and Welfare Services

Understand which benefits you may be entitled to in Cyprus and how to apply for them...

Benefit payments are made either by cheque or by bank transfer. Efforts to phase out payment by cheque are being made.

Family-related benefits

  • Child Benefit: for families with one or more children under a certain age living in the house
  • Mother's Allowance: for mothers of more than four children who are no longer eligible for the Child Benefit
  • Car Purchase Benefit: a one-time grant for large families who receive the Child Benefit for at least four children

Disability benefits

  • Special Grant for the Blind: available to those with impaired vision
  • Car Purchase Benefit for the Disabled: financial assistance to assist with the purchase of a vehicle for the disabled
  • Travel Allowance for the Disabled: available to the blind and those with mobility disabilities

Education benefit

  • Higher Education Grant: assistance for families with a child seeking higher education.

Housing benefit

  • Special Grant for Housing: for those purchasing or building a new home

Summary of Benefits

  • Maternity Grant: a cash payment for eligible women who have given birth.
  • Maternity Benefit: 16 weeks of payments for pregnant woman, beginning between the sixth and second week before confinement. Adoptive mothers of children (if the child is adopted when under 12 years of age) are also eligible.
  • Illness Benefit: payable to employed and self-employed persons between 16 and 63 years old who are unable to work. Recipients who, at age 63, do not satisfy the contribution requirements to receive an old age pension, may continue to receive the illness benefit until they satisfy the contribution conditions or until they reach 65 years of age but no later. The illness benefit payments cannot exceed 156 days for each period of interruption of employment.
  • Funeral Grant: a cash payment to eligible survivors in the event of the death of the recipient of a disability, old age or widow's pension; survivor's of an individual killed in an industrial accident or due to work-related disease; orphans.

Application for Benefits

Application for benefits should be made to the applicant's regional Social Insurance Service office.